Rash, could it be a Crohn's rash? *pictures*

This went undiagnosed but appeared starting with the bigger patch under my left breast, and quickly spread over my whole body, lasting about 2 months. It wasn't itchy or anything though. They were red or pink for the most part, some of them formed little sores that formed scabs, some were spots, some were more like welts. I thought I had cancer for a while there. :/

Also, I get hives all the time. Just out of nowhere, more so at night. It starts with some mild red spots and then they get itchy. I scratch and they turn into hives. Could this be Crohn's related?

With Crohn's, can the colon look normal inside after the prep for a colonoscopy and no "flare up" at that time?

Started with this patch


Please excuse the body...


Legs

the small intestine and colon of a patient in complete remission looks completely normal outside of scarring for some, tons of pictures on the net that show a perfectly normal intestine after treatment with infliximab or LDN etc, no clue what the rash is at all

I don't have crohn's, I have microscopic colitis, but I can get rashes similar to what you show in the pictures. Typically for me they are red raised bumps across the chest mainly, but sometimes on the shoulders and elsewhere. Doctors have noted it, but didn't know what to make of the red marks other than to comment it was a rash.

I have a rash right now, and suspect it will go away in a few days. This is something new for me in discovery, but believe the rash is probably caused when I eat pork or pork gelatin. Hard to say for sure with certainty, as this is the second time I've done an eating experiment where I ate pork, developed a rash later on, and then after a number of days avoiding the rash went away or in this case right now decreased. This morning makes for day 4 in avoiding pork. So far the rash has decreased a good amount. If anything like the first time, I'm guessing in another 3 to 4 days the raised red bumps will be gone. Fingers crossed this is the case!

Wow, I have this same rash under my breast!!! I have not been Dx with crohns yet, I am still going through that song and dance of trying to find out what is wrong. My GI doc thinks IBS, but I am not so sure. I have had this rash under my breast for over a year though, before my GI issues started. The only thing that made it better was this real strong cortisone lotion the dermatologist gave me. But it came back. It is always there and I notice that when ever I itch it, OOHHHH man then it wont stop itching. I have also tried antifungal creams and they do not seem to hel it either. Maybe it is an allergy reaction. I really do not know. I have times where it flares and itches and burns like crazy. Then there are times when it does not bother me, but it is always there, just sometimes looks worse than other times.

The legs looks like erythema nodosum to me, but it's not very common on the trunk. It may be something to discuss with your doctor though.

I guess the rash is just a hit or miss huh? The pictures don't really show the true color of it though. The small ones on my torso, some were bright red, like blood spots, others pink, some had scabbing. The ones on my legs were different pink in color, raised. None of them were itchy or tender at all, they just were. But like I said, a good 2 months for them to go away. During that time, I had been tested for a lot of different things from allergies to cancer and was given Cortisone cream, which didn't do anything at all.

Rash wise though, I get an itchy rash on my legs and stomach/abdomen area at least once a day, but it always goes away the same day. Unless I'm allergic to myself, it's not an allergy. It's been happening for a good 14 years now. I'm pretty much always itchy though, even keeps me up at night...not that the insomnia doesn't do a good job at that anyway. :/

Thanks so much for the help!

The ones on your stomach, especially since you call them blood spots, makes me wonder about petechiae. Do your gums easily bleed by chance?

I have a friend who had chronic hives for over 10 years. It was sooo bad she was covered from head to toe in hives. The allergists could not find a reason for it. He told her that it could also be a form of an autoimmune issue( hence the body attacking itself). He also told her it could be from a chronic infection of some from somewhere in the body. Well she dealt with this for over 10 years and just last year they did a CT scan and found a huge growth in her liver. She had to have surgery to remove this growth which the surgeon was certain was some sort of parasite. Anyhow, long story short, she has not had an outbreak of hives since they removd this growth.

Not saying you have a liver parasite, just saying that her doc told her that when there is anything amiss in the body, even viral infections, it can make your body react in bizarre ways. I'ts just a thought.

The ones on your legs definitely look like hives. Hives are notoriuos for disappearing out of the blue. If they show up and then just disappear within hours, then that is a hive or some sort of allergic reaction.

I have a very similar rash - attributed to drug-induced psoriasis!.....

What medication(s) are you on right now?

David, Yes, my gums do bleed easy. Always have. But, I've also had really horrible oral health since I was born. I get cavities regardless of brushing and cleanings, I am the verge of gum disease, I also have yeast on my gums that antibiotics hasn't gotten rid of. I got this when I was 4 and got my tonsils out. :/ Does Petechiae cause sores as well? Scabbing? My doctor said that wasn't it, but it was undiagnosed, so you never know. I chalked it up to stress, though I had given thought to having a reaction towards a couple other things, but it turned out not to be that either. I have really been thinking my liver's messed up. When I was little, I used to get these red blotches on my hands that my doctor said was caused by my liver. I get it still, but not very often. All the tests have been normal though. I also get gallstones/gallbladder attacks.

Ihurt, that sounds horrible! I'm glad they figured out what was going on with her! My liver was tested, my doctor originally thought possibly liver cancer. My mom has Alpha-1, an auto-immune disease, and my grandpa had it as well. I have yet to get the blood work for it, a bit nervous I guess. I have asthma as is. She's 45 this September and only has 23% lung function. I have some more blood work to get done from my GI, so maybe I'll get some answers from that.

pasobuff, all I take is Ventolin for my Asthma. I don't even take Advil if I don't have to. I gag on any pill, birth control included. :/ I haven't heard of Ventolin causing anything like this though.

With the bleeding gums and those sores, I'd discuss the idea of having your vitamin K levels tested with your doctor. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin and people with Crohn's Disease are sometimes deficient.

If you haven't been tested for various vitamin and mineral deficiencies, I'd ask for the most comprehensive panel they're willing to do. Just make sure K is in there

David, does the Vitamin K have anything to do with Anemia? I'm Anemic and had to have a couple shots for blood lose while giving birth, and am supposed to take an iron supplement.

Not that I'm aware of but one other cause of petechiae is vitamin C deficiency (which can cause bleeding gums as well). Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron but a C deficiency isn't as common as K from what I've read. Now, iron deficiency can occur on its own without other deficiencies in Crohn's Disease, but there are a lot of vitamin and minerals that it depends on and can be an underlying cause of that anemia.

Everything you're describing makes me think it's very important that you discuss and diplomatically push for a comprehensive vitamin and mineral panel with your doctor.

Crohn's Disease is characterized by malabsorption, malnutrition, and deficiencies, and you have various signs of exactly that.

Thank you David. My GI doesn't want to see me again for 6 months but I have to book a follow up appointment with my family doctor and will ask him for the requisition form.
It would be wonderful to feel good again. It's so hard sometimes to chase after my 2 kids (3 and 4), clean the house and take care of hubby being so fatigued and light headed all the time. And the short lasting, but frequent migraines.
Thanks again!

Alicia

Be sure to add vitamin B12, calcium, potassium, and magnesium to the list after that last post

Yeah, you need a comprehensive panel.